1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to improving human balance and gait and preventing foot injury through neurological stimulation of the foot and ankle and more particularly to a wearable platform that provides neurological stimulation to the foot and ankle and to a system for optimizing neurological stimulation.
2. Description of Related Art
Various devices are available for foot support and injury prevention. For example, passive orthoses and braces are described in the art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,454 to Townsend et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,618 to Andersen). These rigid or semi-rigid devices are typically directed toward supporting the foot or ankle to prevent injury, correct skeletal alignment problems, or adjust posture. In so doing, they may effect beneficial changes in balance and gait, but do so by providing passive mechanical support.
Wearable massaging apparatuses for feet are also known. For example, wearable foot massagers are described in the art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,899 to Reilly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,838 to Reilly, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,654 to Montgomery). Massagers typically employ mechanical means of introducing significant deflections (i.e. suprathreshold stimulation) of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, including muscles.
Moreover, wearable foot heaters are described in the art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,657,164). These devices are typically directed toward pain relief, encouraging blood flow in skin, and maintaining thermal status of the foot, rather than to improving balance or gait. Heaters typically employ electrical resistance means to apply elevated temperatures directly to the skin of the foot.
Further, it has been found that the function of sensory cells in the human nervous system can be improved by inputting a noise signal to the sensory cell to effectively lower the threshold of the sensory cell. Since sensory cells are typically threshold-based units, lowering the sensory cell threshold decreases the level of outside stimulation needed to cause the sensory cell to respond (i.e. fire). Thus, the sensory cell will respond to outside stimulation at a lower level that would not result in a sensory cell response at normal cell threshold levels. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,782,873 and 6,032,074 to Collins disclose a method and apparatus for improving the function of sensory cells by lowering the threshold of the sensory cells.
While these devices and methods fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a method and device for improving human balance and gait and preventing foot injury through neurological stimulation of the foot and/or ankle and more particularly a wearable system that provides neurological stimulation to the foot and/or ankle and to a system for optimizing the same.